Modern Filipino restaurants have come in generational waves: Charles Olalia’s now-closed Ma’am Sir giving way to Kuya Lord, whose chef Lord Maynard Llera earned a James Beard Award in 2024. Chef Natalia Moran joined forces with family friends Elzar Dodjie Simon and his wife during the pandemic to sell takeout lumpia and desserts before opening a full-service restaurant, Manila Inasal, on the intersection of Silver Lake, Historic Filipinotown, and Virgil Village. The kitchen slings sizzling plates of pork belly sisig, crab-topped tortang talong, and grilled bungus (milkfish) basted with sweet-soy inasal. The festive dining room, decorated to look like it’s always Christmas, offers live music on weekends and large, connectable tables for big family gatherings.
Skip the sliced chicken inasal, since it tends to arrive dry, and go for the bone-in grilled chicken. Both chicken inasal servings come with enough garlic rice to cover a few people, meaning you can skip ordering rice as a side.
Groups of at least four people, and even up to 20. Those coming in solo or groups of two will likely max out at one dish per person, given the portion sizes.